Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-24
A JUBILEE OF SOULS.
DR.. TALMAGB RECEIVES THREE HUNDRED
MEMBERS
And breaches Beautiful Sermon -CommemOratOn
of The Event CounSelling Humiliation Of
Spirit Before the Almghty-ChriSt
Is the 0nly Shelter.
SpeaiGl Telegram 10 the Register.

preached at the reception of three hundred
and eight new members, making the COM
municant membership of the Brooklyn
Tabernacle three thousand six hundred and
fifty. 1t was a day memorable in tue
history of this church. The reverend
Doctors text was Isaiah k, s: ''Who are
these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves
to their windows?" He preached as fol-
lows:
WHEN GOD WOULD SET FAST A BEAUTIFUL
THOUGHT
He plants it in tree; when He would put
it allOat He fashions it into fish; when
He would have it glide the air He moulds
it into bird. There is to many of us q
complete fascination in the structure and
habits of birds. The blackbird floating
like flake of darkness through the sun
light; the meadow lark with head of tawn
and throat of velvet and breast OF gold; the
red flamingo flying over the Southern
swamps like sparks from the forge of the
setting sun; the pelican, white and black,
morning and night tangled in its wings.
They seem not more of earth than heaven,
ever vacillating between the two. No
wonder that Audubon, with his gun,
tramped through all the American forests
in search of new specimens. Biologists
have spent years i'll finding the track OF
birds claw in the new red sandstone.
There is enough of Gods architecture in n
snipe's bill or grouse's foot to cOniOund
all the universities.
Musicians have with clefs and bars tried
to catch the sound of the nightingale and
the robbin. Among the first things that a
child notices is Il swallow at the caves; and
grandfather goes out with handful OF
crumbs to feed the snOwbirds. The Bible
is full of Ornithological illusions The
birds of the Bible are not dead and stuffed,
like those of the museum, but living birds,
with fluttering wings and plumage. Be-
hold the fowls of the air, says Christ.
Though thou cxalt thySelf as the eagle,
and though thou set thy nest among the
stars, thence will bring thee down." eX-
claims Obadiah. "Gavest thou the goodly
wings to the peacocks?" says job. David
describes his dcsolation by saying: 81 am
like pelican ofthc wilderness; am like
an owl of the desert; ! watch, and am rs 4
sparrow upon the hOuse-tOp." "ics, the
stork in the heaven knOweih her appointed
time; and the turtle and the crane and the
swallow observe the time of their coming;
but my people know not the Judgment OF
the Lord" so says jeremiah. And in the
text Isaiah looks ahead and sees the gath
cring of many people unto Christ and the
church, and it makes him think of a flock
OF pigeonsalightin on their coop, and all
at once trying to get in ut the window OF
the coop, and he cries ont: "Who are these
that fly rs u cloud, and us doves to their
windOwS?"
This is
ONE OF THE MEMORABLE DAYS
of the Brooklyn Tabernacle. On other
Sundays We drop the net; to-day we haul
il in. On other days we send out invita-
tions for kings party; to-day we sit al
the banquet. On other days we fight the
battle; now we claim the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Ye who have toiled
and contributed, and prayed for the success
of this institution, take unto your souls the
grand satisfaction OF this hour. To you, o,
men and women! is fulfilled the promise
'"They that SOW in tears shall reap in Joy"
Wake up, o, Church of God! and bring
garlauds and music, and let us celebrate
our harvest home" "
oh, this mercy of God! am told il is
on ocean. Then | place on it four swift
sailing crafts, with compass and charts,
and choice rigging and skilllul navigatOrs,
and | tell them TO launch away and dis
cover for me the extent of this ocean. That
craft puts out in one direction and sails to
the north; tbs to the south; this to the
east: this to the west They crowd on all
their canvass and sail ten thousand years,
and one day comeup the harbor of Heaven,
and shout to them from the beach
'Have you found the shOre?" And they
answer: "NO shore to Gods mercy
Swift angels, dispatched from the throne,
attempt to go across it. For 4 million
wears they fly and fly, but then come back
and fold their wings ut the foot OF the
throne and cry: "NO shore! No shore to
Gods mercyn Mercy! Mercy! | sing it.
| preach it. prayi it. Here | find man
bound hand and foot to the devil, but
with one stroke of the hammer of Gods
truth the chains fall off and he is free for
ever Mercy Mercy! Mercy There is
no depth it cannot fathOm; there is no
height it cannot scale; there is no inlinity
it cannot compass.
When persons apply for membership
into any society, the question is asked
"wHO ARE THEY
and where do they come trom?' and rs
this multitude of people to-day present
themselves for membership, it is right
that we should ask "WhO are these that
come as doves to their windOws?' They
are captives whose chains have been
broken; they are soldiers who have enlist
ed for thirty years war. They are heirs
of Heaven.
They come as doves to the windows,
first, because they fly low. The eagle
darts up, as if to strike its beak into the
sun. There are birds that seem to dwell
under the caves OF heaven; you see them
as little specks against the sky, so far of
lnIt you Cdn HOl SuCoS bhO SVlO VI Uh'' -
plumage or the shape Of their
bodies. They float 50 far away that
if the hunters gun be discharged at them
they do not change their course. Not so
with the doves or pigeons: they never take
any high excursions. They fly around
your roof and alight on the fence and seem
to dislike great attitudes So these souls
who come to Christ and TO his church to-
day, fly low. They ask no great things;
they seek an humble place at the feet OF
Christ They are not ashamed to be called
heggars for mercy; they are willing to get
down on their knees, and to crawl under
the table, and to pick up the crumbs of
Gospel provisions. There were days when
they were proud and punctilious and mex
orable and pulled up; but not now. The
highest throne Of earth could not tempt
Mary away from Jesus's feet. StOop, q
pardOned soul, if thou wouldst enter heav-
en-. A high look and q proud heart God
hates. Flow low. it is mercy that thou
canst fly at all. Remember all the years
Of thy sin; thy days of youthfnl wander
ing thy days 0f manhood transgressions
thy sins-dark, brooding, deathful-sins
against thy soul, against thy Bible, against
thy God.